Chains of Command

The bad news here is that the author died while working on this book and it was skillfully completed by Christopher Newman. Nevertheless it snaps and crackles with the dialogue and insider information that only Caunitz (a 30-year cop) could provide. You can read all of the police novels you want but you will NEVER find an author that gives you as much of the inside scoop on police work, language, and character. His plots are fascinating, his characters different yet utterly believable, and his mastery of giving a lot of information in a few words is unmatched. Caunitz was, quite simply, the best of them all at this kind of a novel. Rest In Peace, William J. Caunitz...I'll be re-reading your books from time to time until (hopefully) we meet in the beyond.

Read this book quickly or you might lose track of the plot. It is a bit confusing and maybe not all that believable. I've really enjoyed Caunitz's other books. I don't know how much of this was finished before he died and I'm not a reader of Newman but it is not quite up to One Police Plaza, Black Sand and Pigtown. If you like NYPD books though it's well worth the price of a paperback.

Chains of Command was my first book that I read by William J. Caunitz and I could not put it down. I loved it from the begining to the end and could not point out a boring part of the book or a dry part. Caunitz escribed Lt. Matthew Stuart to be a real charmed police officer who allowed me to feel how Matt was feeling and to see what Matt was seeing, as if you were actually there with the lieutenant. I really loved the book and would suggest it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/police novel. Matt Stuart was a real good guy.

I have read all of Caunitz's other books, however I thought that I read his last with Pigtown. Sometimes publisher's print questionable efforts after an author's death just because they can get away with it. Chains of Command is one of Caunitz's best books.